State reports 73 deaths, 1,527 fresh Covid cases

LUDHIANA/PATIALA/JALANDHAR/BATHINDA/AMRITSAR: Punjab on Thursday reported 73 Covid-related fatalities, taking the death toll to 1,690, while 1,527 new cases took the state’s infection tally to 58,515.

According to a bulletin released by the state government, 18 coronavirus fatalities were reported from Ludhiana, 10 from Kapurthala, seven from Jalandhar and five each from Patiala, Ferozepur and Moga. Four people died of the infection in Amritsar, three in Rupnagar, two each in Fatehgarh Sahib, Faridkot, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur and Sangrur and one each in Bathinda, Fazilka, Mohali, Muktsar, SBS Nagar and Tarn Taran, according to the bulletin.

Jalandhar reported 227 fresh cases, followed by Amritsar 168, Ludhiana 152, Patiala 138, Mohali 134, Gurdaspur 71, Hoshiarpur 60 and Kapurthala 58, it said. Nineteen women prisoners lodged in Patiala’s central jail tested for the virus. The source of infection is yet to be known as the infected inmates had no outside contact.

There are 15,554 active coronavirus cases in the state now, the bulletin said, adding that 1,529 more coronavirus patients were discharged after they recovered from infection, taking the total number of recoveries to 41,271 in the state.

Punjab allows free walk-in Covid testing

CHANDIGARH The Punjab government has decided to allow free walk-in testing in government hospitals and mobile vans, and similar testing at a nominal manpower cost not exceeding ₹250 by private doctors and hospitals, to encourage increased Covid testing. People who want their result immediately, can opt for rapid antigen testing (RAT) while RT-PCR testing will also be similarly available. The state will also explore similar arrangements for rapid antigen testing by pharmacists/chemists.